Authors' objectives: A remote presence (RP) robot is a mobile robot that assesses a patient at their bedside. The robot is under the control of a remote clinician who is located at a distant control station, either nearby or anywhere in the world. RP robots have been developed to stand in for clinicians if they cannot be at a patient's bedside. The robots are anthropomorphic, humansized devices that operate in a wireless environment. They use a semi-autonomous, Internet-enabled, real-time, two-way audio-visual telecommunications platform. The remote clinician uses a joystick to drive the device to the patient's bedside and manoeuvre it around the bed. The clinician can then perform a visual physical examination, coach and observe a surrogate examiner, and review graphical information on monitors, ventilators, balloon pumps and so on. The robot can travel at speeds of about three km per hour and has an eight hour rechargeable battery. RP robots employ electronic stethoscopes and can be enhanced with lights to illuminate the retina, pharynx, ear canal, and tympanic membrane. Bedside ultrasound transmission is also possible. The robot's 'head' is a computer monitor that allows the patient and bedside providers to see the clinician, and vice versa. It is not uncommon for hospital-based specialist physicians to be unavailable for face-to-face patient assessments on short notice, yet prompt attention is extremely important when managing patient emergencies. The RP robot, remotely operated by a clinician, was developed to provide assessment at the bedside to facilitate urgent diagnostic and management decisions. An additional application is consultation with non-local experts by bedside clinicians, particularly in non-metropolitan or remote regions.

Authors' recommendations: Although this device may provide improved mobility compared to traditional video telemedicine technologies, it is likely that alternative models of care and e-health technologies would be more acceptable to both clinicians and patients in Australia and New Zealand. Based on the scant body of evidence and the cost of this device compared to the common alternatives of the use of fixed or mobile video telemedicine equipment HealthPACT recommended that no further research on this technology is currently warranted.

Project Status: Completed

Year Published: 2014

URL for published report: https://www.health.qld.gov.au/healthpact/docs/briefs/WP188.pdf

English language abstract: An English language summary is available

Publication Type: Not Assigned

Country: Australia

Organisation Name: Australian Safety and Efficacy Register of New Interventional Procedures-Surgical

Contact Address: ASERNIP-S 24 King William Street, Kent Town SA 5067 Australia Tel: +61 8 8219 0900

Contact Name: racs.asernip@surgeons.org

Contact Email: racs.asernip@surgeons.org

Copyright: Australian Safety and Efficacy Register of New Interventional Procedures -Surgical (ASERNIP-S)